On The Deck: Rachael Tubman

In all the time we have been running our industry interviews, there is one thing, curiously, which we have never done. In the past we have spoken to travel agents, cruise executives and tour operators but we have never interviewed a cruise passenger. This is clearly something which needs to change and here at Cruise News, we’re not afraid of pushing the boat out. So this week, while onboard Cruise & Maritime’s Marco Polo we decided to go one better – and interview someone who had never been on a cruise before. After all, if there is one thing that all cruise lines should be able to agree on, it’s that in 10/15 years, their average passenger profile will have changed. Based on that, what are they doing to approach the next generation? Do young people feel particularly engaged with the industry? We spoke to first time cruiser Rachael Tubman to find out what she thought.

As someone who has never taken a cruise before, can you tell me what your initial thoughts are?

I’m quite surprised as I’ve always been quite cynical about cruises. Even though there is an older clientele, it doesn’t mean you can’t create your own experience of what a cruise is to you. As I travel a lot for work, I appreciated the ease of stepping onto a ready-made holiday and the structure of such a holiday was also a refreshing experience. I’m from a generation that typically explores when they’re away so having everything laid out for me was actually rather nice.

Why do you think cruises don’t attract a younger demographic?

Whether it’s through the media or another medium, cruises have never been targeted at us. Whenever my generation has come into contact with a cruise holiday it’s been negative press – from Concordia through to the Titanic. I’ve never had a positive cruise experience marketed towards me.

Do you think there is an image problem?

Yes. I work in retail and understanding the importance of creating an experience is paramount. If you’re opening a café everything needs to be targeted at those you want to attract. Right now a cruise is aimed at an older generation so naturally there is no connection to me. I don’t want to just step onto a mode of transport that gets me from A-B. I want to be part of something. A cruise is a model which suits an older demographic and has never been marketed towards me. However, if they want to get the next generation then there needs to be a change in ideals.

What can the lines do to address this?

Most big companies think that the way to young people is through social media. However social media is rising most rapidly in the over 50s. Personally, when I’m investigating something new, I take blogs a lot more seriously than Facebook. I would look for a cruise line that had money to update its product and look to them to start commissioning bloggers. I have never seen anything about a cruise on any site I’ve looked on, which makes me think that most journalists who go on press trips are writing to a converted audience. I think there is potential in a younger generation; they just don’t consider it an option right now.

What is it about cruising that appeals to you?

Surprisingly, it’s the pace, which is what I imagine one of the core elements of cruising has always been. The product needs a facelift and a marketing push but essentially nothing needs to change. My friends and I want to travel, stay in hotels, not get lost, see new things and spend quality time with each other. Cruising would satisfy all of the above at what could be a very reasonable price.